1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic performance apparatus, and more particularly to an automatic performance apparatus capable of recording or reproducing a performance to be played by its every part.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally known automatic performance apparatus can record and reproduce data indicative of a performance by each of its parts such as a melody part, a chord part, a bass part or the like (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 59-197095, for example). By use of this known apparatus, it is possible to mix an automatic performance tone based on reproduced performance data with another performance tone to be actually generated by playing an electronic musical instrument by each part.
The above-mentioned conventional apparatus can execute the recording or reproducing of data in one part (e.g., the melody part) and also execute the reproducing of data in another part (e.g., the chord part) in parallel. In addition, this conventional apparatus starts to record or reproduce the data in one part and also starts to reproduce the data in another part simultaneously. For this reason, the conventional apparatus cannot start to reproduce the chord part in order to additionally play a chord accompaniment in the middle of the reproduction of the melody part, or the conventional apparatus cannot start to reproduce the bass part in order to additionally play a bass accompaniment in the middle of the recording of the chord part, for example. Therefore, the conventional apparatus is disadvantageous in that the performance method must be limited.
In order to eliminate the above disadvantage, it is possible to modify the conventional apparatus into the apparatus capable of independently starting the recording and reproduction. However, such modified apparatus is disadvantageous in that the synchronization among the progressing bars of plural parts must be deviated frequently. In addition, it is difficult to perform the reproduction starting operation so that such deviation will be eliminated. Therefore, the conventional apparatus is inconvenient for the actual performance.